The way is not in the sky, the way is in the heart
by Nitro Sky
Summary: After losing his powers, Kotetsu's body weakens and he dies. Before dying, he leaves Keith shocked after telling his last words. Meanwhile, Barnaby  who loved Kotetsu  decides to build an android that resembles him. What if the android meets Keith?
1. Prologue

**Title:** The way is not in the sky, the way is in the heart.

**Chapter:** Prologue

**Author**: yamanaika LJ (also know as "sky-hunk" at tumblr).

**Rating:** PG-13 (but will be R-18 later on)

**Characters/Pairings:** Kotetsu x Keith. One-sided Kotetsu x Barnaby.

**Warnings:** Death, angst and spoilers I guess.

**Words:** 3175

**Summary:** After the loss of his powers, Kotetsu's body starts weakening to the point it's slowly dying. Before dying, Kotetsu tells his last words to Keith leaving him in a shock. After the funeral, Barnaby cannot cope with the loss of his partner (and secret love) so he decides to use his parents' research on robotics to create an android that resembles Kotetsu to keep him forever. But... What if new robotic Kotetsu and Keith meet each other?

**Notes:** I wasn't going to do this but after consulting my friends from tumblr, they told me to go for it. I swear to God you people are masochists.

**Thanks: **Annachuu LJ for being the one pushing me to do it along with Kero from tumblr and also Kancchi from Tumblr for helping me with ideas to make this possible. Especially thanks to my precious photobomber wife (unasuvas LJ) for beta-ing and correcting my mistakes.

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><p><em>Beep... Beep...<em>

The higher you fly, the harder you'll fall.

And now the once high and mighty Wild Tiger was bedridden. The one that managed to rise from last place to one of the tops was now stuck in a bed slowly waiting for his time.

It all started a year ago.

It was amazing at first. His powers became much stronger, faster, better. But in return, the time of usage became shorter each day. He didn't realize it at first but it had also meant his life would become shorter with each second he lost from his Hundred Power.

The changes were subtle at first. With the total loss of his powers, he was forced to retire from his hero business. Still, because he couldn't let go of his hero persona, he continued contacting his fellow heroes as much as he could. Keeping in contact with his long-time friend Antonio and former partner Barnaby was easy enough (other than having to meet the latter in private so that Kaede wouldn't know that her long-time hero was actually friends with her father).

Yet, what surprised him the most was how close he got to his former rival: Keith Goodman, Sky High.

A young man in his twenties, he was full of energy and had a bright future ahead. Kotetsu always thought of him as a goofball, as well as an oddball but still hardworking and refreshing. The younger blonde would also visit him from time to time and bring him magazines, food and other things that could only be bought from the big city. The thought of not having the same access to the city like he used to would sadden him occasionally... but he couldn't help but smile when he thought of how much time and effort this guy was making just to make him feel better. He even felt guilty for judging him in the past and treating him a bit rudely just out of jealousy. But now that Kotetsu was an average Joe, he could redeem himself by starting all over again with Keith and be pals, couldn't he? He managed to revive the relationship with his daughter, why not do the same for this guy?

Days passed and Kotetsu started noticing the subtle changes in his body. He started feeling tired constantly, leading him to sleep more hours than usual. Even simple tasks such as going upstairs or walking for a long period of time made him exhausted. As a result, Kaede had to do chores for him. Though she scolded her father at first, as the days flew by, she complained less about it. It was as if she noticed something different in her Dad... and that if anything she should be doing what she could to make his life easier.

He visited the doctor eventually so as to not worry his family. His fatigue was diagnosed as anemia and possible narcolepsy but the doctor had only hypothesized that it stemmed from his body reverting from that of a superpowered NEXT to an ordinary human.

Since Kotetsu couldn't go out because of his tired body, Barnaby had to visit whenever Kaede was at school. He also seemed to have noticed that something was off. Kotetsu wondered what was so different but he knew it had to be something big... especially when Barnaby had offered him a maid to help him around the house. Of course, he refused. He wasn't going to trouble anyone or be a burden.

After Barnaby's visits in the morning, he had Keith over in the afternoon. The blonde actually managed to alarm Kotetsu during one of his visits however. Kotetsu knew this guy was as dense as a block of wood and him noticing changes meant that it had been more noticable than he first suspected. Similar to Barnaby's offer, Keith even offered to move in with him to help out... but of course, Kotetsu refused him as well. Wild Tiger wouldn't be a burden to anyone.

"Keith, don't worry. You don't have to do this. What about your job as a hero? What about your family?"

"Mister Kaburagi... I don't have a family..."

Well, that explained a lot. How could he find the time to patrol at night if he had a family? Kotetsu couldn't help but to pat the younger man's head and smile.

"You can't move in but you can come visit any time," he laughed, "I hope this useless old man isn't boring you!"

After that, Kotetsu had grown used to the new daily routine. Just Barnaby, Keith and Kaede every day. Occasionally he would also get visits from the other heroes and even old friends but otherwise, everything was monotonous.

Everything was fine really.

And then one day Kotetsu woke up... and immediately felt something different. Something wrong. He felt something was lost and it was then that he realized that he had lost the sensation in his legs.

Without meaning to, he ended up leaving Barnaby stood up. The same would've happened with Keith is he hadn't visited and found Kotetsu himself passed out and sprawled on the floor.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was in a hospital bed. Keith was by his side peeling an apple It wouldn't have been such an alarming sight if he didn't spot the puffy bags beneath the younger blonde's eyes.

"Keith... What happened...?"

The blonde man quickly looked at him then smiled weakly. He left the apple and the knife at the stand next to him hugged the older man.

"You've been sleeping for the past three days, Mister Kaburagi... How are you feeling?"

Three days...? He wondered if Barnaby knew what had happened but knowing Keith, he probably told anyone who happened to be in HeroTV building. Still, judging from the state the younger man was in, he knew that something was happening to him... and it wasn't good.

A nurse eventually came in to perform some trivial check-ups and it was only after Keith had left, that the doctor finally came in to inform Kotetsu of what was happening.

There was no way to prepare him for what was coming.

It was a long lecture full of complicated words but in the end, Kotetsu realized the basic result of it all. Not only was he losing movement and sensation in his extremities but eventually the bodily paralysis would extend to his vitals and brain. All as a result of the former Wild Tiger losing his powers. Now he was also losing his vital energy. He knew what the ultimate result would be.

"Why..."

Even if he was an adult –or rather, an old man-, he couldn't stop tears from flowing. It wasn't since Tomoe's death that he had felt such despair. He didn't want to leave Kaede alone. He just couldn't! He had promised to be on the front row of her graduation, to help her hold her trophy when she won the International Ice Skating Tournament, to walk her down the aisle when she was to be married...

He wanted to live long enough to see all of that but it was too late. There was nothing that could be done.

The next day, he broke the news to his mother. It was heartbreaking to see her at the floor trying to get a grip of herself after hearing the news.

Barnaby's reaction was similar, devastation accompanied by a string of curses because of the situation. He promised Kotetsu that he would provide Kaede with all the economic help needed for her future. The other heroes had arrived as well as soon as they heard the news.

Karina promised him that she would become Kaede's friend and help her become a fine woman for Kotetsu's sake. Kotetsu couldn't help but to smile.

Nathan promised him that he would use his status as the president of Helios to sponsor Kaede as well so she would go to a fine university. Kotetsu felt relief.

Paolin and Ivan promised Kotetsu that they would room with Kaede after she moved to Sternbild for schooling. They would protect her and make sure she was alone. Kotetsu thanked God for letting him keep the movement in his arms to pet the heads of both of them for being such good kids.

Antonio was truly devastated to know that his long time friend was going to be gone but he needed to stay strong for him as well. After one last fistbump, he promised Kotetsu that he take his place in Kaede's life so someone would be there for her graduation, her rises and falls and on her wedding.

And last but not least, there was Keith.

It was evident that the blonde already knew what was happening. And yet Kotetsu tried to force a smile just to see that bright and refreshing man own smile once more.

Before he could say anything, the blonde hugged the old weak man and started crying. Among the sobs and cries, Keith would mumble little nothings to Kotetsu. That he was going to do anything for him, even defy God and try to pull off a miracle. Before the older man could tell Keith the said truth, the blonde opened the window and looked at him.

"I'm going to fly high and higher and reach heaven to ask God to give you a second chance... You just wait..."

Before Kotetsu could yell out to stop him, Keith had already flown out of the window, high to the sky. Kotetsu feared the worst, if someone tried to fly that high they would eventually die from the pressure. Still, Keith tried to fly as high he could. He could feel his head and ears hurting, his nose starting to bleed but he tried to ignore that for Kotetsu's sake.

And yet before long, his vision of the bright sun had turned black. He had fallen unconscious from great pressure and dropped temperature from his body from trying to reach Mach 5. Sky High was now plummeting to the ground. Minutes later, the dot in the sky that Kotetsu had spotted was growing ever-larger at a frightful speed. He knew it was Keith. Kotetsu cried at the blonde's pertinacity and wished for a miracle. He couldn't just sit back and watch. He had to do something... He used to be a hero.

He was a hero.

He wanted to save Keith's life.

In a heartbeat, with a sudden burst of energy, he could see his body glowing with power and could feel the sensation in his legs returning. He didn't know how much time this would last so he had to hurry. Without thinking twice, he jumped from the window and reached for Keith as he called out his name. With some effort, he managed to take the body of the younger man into his arms. Despite the bleeding nose and pale blue tint to the man's lips, he felt a sense of relief to see that he was still breathing. He landed safely back on to the hospital grounds, hoping that this last burst of power would last long enough to get them both back to safety.

"... Mister Kaburagi... I did it... You got your powers back..."

Keith woke up for a moment, shivering from the cold as he spoke. Kotetsu didn't want to break his illusion. He smiled at him and nodded.

"Of course Keith... You did great! So now... Just rest."

Keith smiled and closed his eyes to rest from all the effort he gave on trying to pull off that non-existent miracle. In that moment, as Kotetsu held the younger blonde's unconscious body, he had a sudden realization as he felt warm tears slowly stream down his face.

"Shit Keith... Why... Why did you have to come so late into my life?... Why did I have to realize this so late?"

Kotetsu kissed the lips of the sleeping young man. It was a short kiss. It felt cold and tasted metallic from the blood running from his nose. But it was still enough. When Kotetsu pulled back, he could feel himself losing strength and blacking out once again.

When he woke up again, he was numb. Kotetsu panicked, tried to not scream but started to cry instead. He moved his head to the side and saw Keith, his head bandaged, holding Kotetsu's hand. The older man couldn't help but cry more. Not only were the efforts of the younger man in vain, but now he couldn't even feel the warmth of Keith's hand anymore. Keith's sky blue eyes were now red and wet with tears and it was clear how much pain there was within them. After spending a few minutes together in silence, Keith had to leave for his own recovery.

It was later that Kotetsu had found out the worst of the worst. The sudden awakening of his powers accelerated the process of the paralysis.

Even so, he didn't regret using them. He could never regret saving Keith.

The next months were painful. He was secluded to his hospital bed, looking at the ceiling. At first it wasn't so much of a problem until he lost sensitivity in his neck, then his face, to the point where he couldn't even speak anymore. Only a few days later, he lost his sight.

Now all he could do was listen.

Listen to the beeps of the machines, listen the doctors talking about how much time left he had left, listen to his loved ones crying.

But amongst the dark abyss, there was Keith's voice. Unlike his usual bright and boisterous tone, it was now weak and faint. In this state of numbness, what really pained Kotetsu was that he couldn't do anything now. He couldn't comfort sorrowful, tired Keith. He couldn't even tell him to please forget about this dying old man and try to move on.

And yet, he had noticed in the young hero's voice, there was still hope. False hope, mostly delusion and denial. It was sad to listen to him that way... but Kotetsu still tried to wish as well. He begged and pleaded any God in heaven to give him another chance. Not for his own selfish wishes to be alive... But to stay alive to grant the wish of the younger hero. The hero who still had his whole life ahead of him. The hero that quit on his night patrolling just to be with this old man.

Of course, the sad reality is that when you're an adult... There is no God for you no matter how much you pray.

The end came closer than ever.

Even if he couldn't here it in the voices of the nurses and doctors around him, Kotetsu could feel it in his heart. The end would come within the week.

He could hear Kaede scolding him for not telling her earlier about his life as a hero, but he could also hear her thoughts of how he would be reunited with her mother in Heaven.

That's right. He was going to meet Tomoe again... That thought wasn't so bad after all. Still, he bet that Tomoe was never going to forgive him for leaving their daughter alone so early.

After Kaede, each one of his fellow heroes came to visit him to give their final farewells. When it time for Barnaby's turn, he could immediately feel the anguish in his voice. The man he had worked with for more than a year was breaking down next to him and he couldn't do anything. Among his cries, he could hear apologies and words of gratitude... and a confession that Kotetsu truly didn't expect.

"You know Kotetsu... I never saw you as a partner or a father figure. I loved you more than that. Like a lover... I wish I could have told you sooner... I wish I realized sooner."

Bunny loving him? That was a surprise, especially considering the way Barnaby had treated him all that time. Always looking down at him, questioning his actions and his way of doing things.

It was then that Kotetsu realized how much of an hypocrite he was. After all, wasn't he doing the same to Keith? Didn't he treat him the same way out of jealousy for the longest time? And now that he got to know the young blonde better only after losing his powers... he fell for him.

Now it was Kotetsu who felt the pain inside, he was going to die without telling that guy how he felt. He cursed himself for everything. For being a father when it was too late, for not being able to answer Barnaby's feelings and for not being able to restart with Keith like he wanted.

Without even realizing it, Barnaby left and it was Keith's turn. The blonde didn't say much, he just spoke normally to him. It was clear that the poor guy was still in denial about everything. Still, this time it was different, Kotetsu was suffering and dying to tell him how he felt. He begged God to please give him a bit of strength, five minutes would be enough like the time he saved Keith from the fall.

He begged, he prayed.

Just five minutes.

He would accept dying afterward.

But just...

Five minutes.

As if God Himself was listening, he could feel it. The sudden warm energy embraced his body and he could feel his body again after months of being enveloped by darkness. His sight returned and he felt his throat again. Still, he knew what that meant. He remembered Jackson's words about a flame that shone brightly before extinguishing. Those were going to be his final minutes and he was going to use them wisely.

He quickly sat down and embraced Keith. He didn't care that his body was stiff from being isolated in the bed, his heart was in even more in pain anyway. Keith couldn't believe what was happening. Surely it was a miracle-

"Keith... This is no miracle... God have given me five minutes to tell you goodbye..."

The blonde's eyes filled with tears again.

"Keith... Listen to me carefully... I am sorry for the way I've treated you since we've known each other... I wish I realized the kind of person you were sooner... I..."

Kotetsu then leaned to whisper something to Keith's ear, leaving the blonde in shock and with his cheeks as red as his eyes from all the crying.

"Mister Kaburagi..."

"Please... Call me Kotetsu..."

"Kotetsu... I..."

Keith looked down in embarrassment and whispered his answer. Kotetsu couldn't help but to smile and join hands with him, giving him something in the process.

"This is my last gift..."

Keith then looked at his hand to see what it was and his eyes widened.

"But...!"

"No buts, Keith..."

Kotetsu then started leaning as he felt his energy running out.

"Goodbye... Keith..."

The older man used his last seconds to kiss the blonde. Keith didn't refuse but closed his eyes to feel nothing but the warmth of Kotetsu's lips. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes when he felt that Kotetsu had pulled back... Or so he thought. He could only hear a loud noise of something falling to the floor, followed by a piercing noise that made him realize the cold reality.

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><p>It's incredible that I wrote this in the end. I guess I will write the next chapter soon, I just hope you all enjoyed it!<p>

~Aniki


	2. Flight 1

**Title:** The way is not in the sky, the way is in the heart.

**Chapter:** Flight 1 - Death is deaf and will hear no denial.

**Author**: yamanaika LJ (also known as "sky-hunk" at tumblr).

**Rating:** PG-13 (but will be R-18 later on)

**Characters/Pairings:** Kotetsu x Keith. One-sided Kotetsu x Barnaby. Light Muramasa x Keith(?).

**Warnings:** Death, angst and spoilers I guess.

**Words:** 2271

**Summary:** After the loss of his powers, Kotetsu's body starts weakening to the point it's slowly dying. Before dying, Kotetsu tells his last words to Keith leaving him in a shock. After the funeral, Barnaby cannot cope with the loss of his partner (and secret love) so he decides to use his parents' research on robotics to create an android that resembles Kotetsu to keep him forever. But... What if new robotic Kotetsu and Keith meet each other?

**Notes:** Sorry for the delay people. TBH I was going to continue this after T&B finished (because I wanted to know more about Muramasa to include him). It has been months full of drama in my irl but I think things are calm enough to continue this.

**Thanks: **Thanks to Annachuu and Kero for convincing me to do this. To my wife Polly who always helps me as a beta. And to John and Michiyuki for following this loyally. I will end this!

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><p>Less than a week had passed.<p>

Keith couldn't believe he was sitting right there. His hands were shivering as he held the bouquet of flowers he had bought. In the past he had bought flowers for a certain girl, or to give to the elderly, or to congratulate a fellow hero, or for someone who was sick at the hospital. Yet, this time these flowers were for a funeral. His legs were hurting from sitting in the traditional position, and yet he had to try to endure for respect. Though he had attended funerals in the past, this was his first time attending a Japanese-style ceremony… and he wanted to do everything right. It was the least he could do.

He had delivered a speech at Kotetsu's wake the day before, only to black out shortly after. When he woke up, Antonio and Nathan were next to his hospital bed, mildly chiding him for not taking care of himself better. The blonde would usually try to simply smile and brush it off in these situations. But today it failed. He just couldn't smile. Still, he promised them that he was going to rest to attend the funeral.

He woke up feeling a bit better, only for the heavy thoughts of loss and dread to return as he sat up in his hospital bed.

At the funeral, he saw Karina crying, very much inconsolable. Paolin, whose cheeks were also wet with tears, was trying to console her. He saw Antonio talking to a very familiar-looking man. Looking closely at him, Keith recognized that man as Kotetsu's brother. Keith remembered seeing him around the Kaburagi household and when he brought things to the hospital. Still, the blonde couldn't remember the man's name. He had always been terrible at remembering foreign names.

Before long, came the moment Keith dreaded the most.

The blonde young man stood up to get in a line of people who were also carrying flowers. He could see the casket properly now. His legs shivered and his heart raced in anxiety as he approached it. Ivan was behind him wearing a black hakama. The smaller man clung to Keith's arm like he was about to pass out at any moment. He looked very pale and very nervous.

"Keith... I can barely move my legs… I just can't believe this..."

The taller blonde nodded and looked at him. He could understand his feelings. It was a very tense moment; most of them were still trying to deny and reject this reality. Paolin was in front, carrying two bouquets. Apparently, Karina had already blacked out from the grief and now Paolin had chosen to carry both bouquets. Keith had glanced away from the scene momentarily to look for Nathan. His usually flamboyant hero was now speaking somberly to Agnes, his face covered by a black veil.

"I'd always wanted to see Japanese ceremonies like weddings and funerals… but this…"

Keith's attention returned to Ivan when he felt the smaller man's grip had weaken. He was shaking now. Keith, despite the weight of his own feelings, did his best to guide his fellow hero to the casket, bit by bit. Once the procession had reached the two blondes, Ivan looked up at Keith, his eyes full of sadness and fear.

"You should go first, Keith. After all... You were with him when it happened..."

Keith's eyes widened as he remembered. Kotetsu's temporary awakening. Their kiss. His last words.

His last words...

Suddenly, he came to a realization. What did Kotetsu mean with those last words? He stood before the casket with Ivan still clinging to him. Various bouquets and flowers colored the wooden casket; Ivan and Keith had to step in close to see the face of the one inside it. As Keith gazed at the visage within the cold wooden box, his denial returned.

"What if he's not really dead? He looks like... He's just asleep in the box..."

"He actually does. It's a bit scary..." Ivan's voice seemed to shrink before continuing on. "What if… what if he suddenly woke up and jumps out of the coffin saying that he's alive? Like... When we were against Maverick and Rotwang..." the tone of his voice was somber, but light as if in reminiscence.

"That would be something he would actually do and do again..."

"But Keith... He's not going to come back..."

It was almost cruel. For Ivan to make Keith remember like that and bring reality crashing back down.

"How do you know that, Ivan? His skin is not pale..."

"That's because the ones from the burial services put make up on him so he would look like he's asleep..."

"But, bodies also rot... He has been... Gone for days after all."

"There's dry ice under the coffin to prevent that... If you touched his skin, he would be ice cold but..." Ivan looked away, unsure. "Just, don't do that right now or his family will get angry, Keith..."

Keith looked over to see Mrs. Kaburagi, Kaede and Muramasa standing to the right of the casket, busy in conversation with Antonio. There were still people in line, waiting for Keith and Ivan to move so they had to keep things brief. Both placed their bouquets next to the coffin.

Figuring that Keith's final words would probably be more heavy and significant that his own, Ivan decided to give his short sayonara first. It was a farewell in perfect Japanese with only a hint of an accent.

"My father would have loved to hear you speak in Japanese. You've improved a lot."

Ivan looked up and saw Kaede, speaking in a very low voice. She tried to smile at him even if her eyes were red and full of grief. Ivan nodded to thank her and waited for Keith to speak. The blonde was in a loss though. He had a lot of things to say to the deceased man but nothing could come out from his mouth. In the end, he could only speak a single sentence.

"What did you mean...?"

Suddenly, eyes of confusion looked on at the blonde.

"What did you want me to do...?"

Barnaby was at the farthest corner of the room, waiting for everyone to leave. He wanted to be the last one giving his farewell after all. He wondered why suddenly all eyes were on the King of Heroes, before narrowing his own eyes in suspicion. He had already held a grudge against Keith for being the only person with Kotetsu during his final moments, and now at his very funeral, the blonde had once again garnered all the attention?

He walked briskly over to Keith as he stepped away from the casket. Barnaby wasn't going to let him leave so easily.

"Goodman, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Keith blinked. "What is it, Barnaby?" he asked, eyes full of concern and confusion. After all, the bespectacled man had avoided him for the entire ceremony… or rather, ever since Kotetsu had passed.

"I was wondering… Did Kotetsu say anything peculiar to you before his passing?"

Keith's eyes widened in shock. However he tried to brush the feeling off with a small laugh.

"Nothing interesting…" he hesitated. "He just wanted everyone to know that he cared about them and that he wanted everyone to move on..."

"Just that?" Barnaby snipped.

"Just that and that again..." he responded nervously. "If you'll excuse me, I need some fresh air..."

Barnaby's eyes narrowed as Keith walked away. If he couldn't get a straight answer out of Keith, he would just have to ask the Kaburagi family instead.

"I'm sorry for your loss... You have my condolences." he said with bowed head to Muramasa.

"Oh Barnaby, was it...? Thank you for coming and helping us as well."

"It's no problem at all… anything for the family of my dear partner. Please excuse me for my curiosity but… did something happen when Mr. Goodman stood before the coffin?"

"Mr. Goodman?"

"Keith Goodman." he spoke the name quickly, almost too rushed.

"Oh Keith! It wasn't anything of concern. He was just confused. He mentioned Kotetsu's last words to him is all and we were all just… confused by it. "

Barnaby's expression of mild shock warped to a deep frown.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all, I am just worried about Goodman's state since it must have been very shocking for him to see someone he knew just die in front of him."

Muramasa's expression suddenly grew clearly concerned.

"I think I'm going to leave for a moment and have a talk with him. I need to check if he's alright. If you excuse me..."

In no time at all, Muramasa was on his way to the entrance of the building. Meanwhile, Barnaby was vaguely amused by the kindness of his partner's brother. Not even that could quell the anger within him though…

"Who would have imagined that babyfaced moron could lie?" he mumbled to himself. "Not very well, anyway…"

Keith was outside, gazing at the falling snow. Seeing the cotton-like snowflakes falling from the sky, reminded him that Kotetsu wasn't going to be there to spend Christmas with his family. Maybe Sky High could dress as Santa and treat little Kaede to gifts to cheer her up! Or would that be disrespectful?

He just wanted to help… just like the rest of his fellow heroes that promised Kotetsu to help his family. He felt lost and helpless, just like when his own family was taken away…

Suddenly, the strong scent of hot chocolate invaded his senses. When he turned to see where it came from, Muramasa was there holding two steaming plastic cups.

"It's very cold here, buddy. I know you don't like coffee so I got you some hot chocolate. You seem like the type to have a sweet tooth."

"Thank you and thank you again... But my bosses are really strict with my diet."

"Are your bosses here?"

"No... Actually no."

"Then you can drink this. I won't tell anyone, so don't worry." he assured him.

The blonde held the cup to his lips and had a taste. The drink made Keith think back to the coffee machines at Poseidon (which also sold the hot chocolate that he was so fond of). But even the drinks those machines offered weren't as sweet as what he had just drunk.

"I added a bit of extra sugar."

"How did you...?" Keith looked over at the older man, intrigued.

"I'm a bit more observant than my little brother… I've always noticed whenever you'd drop by for a visit. You'd always put four spoonfuls of sugar in your tea when no one was looking." Muramasa seemed pleased with the memory. "You really don't like bitter things, don't you?"

"No… You could say I actually like the things I cannot have..."

"Like my brother?"

Keith's eyes widened as he stared at Muramasa, surprised by his bluntness. A light blush grew on his cheeks.

"You really are young at heart... Let's not even get into how obedient and hardworking you are. You're a good kid, you know that?"

"Thank you and thank you again..." Keith said as he looked down into his hot chocolate, trying to hide his blush into the collar of his coat.

"Still when all's said and done, a man's a man."

"I still have a lot to learn..."

Muramasa chuckled. "As long as there's life, there's hope. Everything's a learning experience, Keith."

"Mr. Kaburagi..."

"Call me Muramasa."

"Mr. Muramasa... Thank you and thank you again. I know you want to cheer me up..."

"Yes and also, I was wondering what you were saying when you were in front of Kotetsu's casket a few moments ago."

"I can't..."

"I'll keep it a secret, I just want to help."

The younger blonde man nodded and took something out from his pocket. He showed it to Muramasa, who looked on with shock.

"He gave this to me... And said something to me."

"He did?"

"Yes, during his last minutes. He activated his power for a moment..."

"That idiot..."

At these words, Keith shrank. "I'm sorry… and again, I apologize..."

Muramasa breathed in deeply, trying to think of what to do. Then he looked at Keith decisively.

"Keith, I'd like to invite you to drink something after the cremation. I own a bar and liquor store after all."

"Cre... mation?"

"Do you… know what that is?"

"Not really... It's the first time I've heard that word..."

Muramasa looked away momentarily, his expression uncertain. "I will tell you someday then… But right now isn't a good time. Nonetheless, will you wait for me here?"

"I apologize but I don't drink alcohol, Mr. Muramasa..."

"What about a cola? I'll even add some ice and a lemon slice if you want." he said with a softened smile.

"Mr. Muramasa, you really have been observing me..."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's a bit funny actually." Keith's lips curled only slightly in a small grin.

"At least I was able to make you crack a smile."

"Brothers are very much alike..."

Muramasa took a sip of his own hot chocolate before answering. "You don't have any siblings, Keith?"

"No, I actually don't even have a family..."

"Then I think we will have a lot to talk about from now on... Starting with what my brother gave to you."

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><p>I have the third chapter half done as well so I'll probably upload it the next weekend. Hope you enjoyed this!<p>

~Aniki


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